Where does “literalness” come from?
I notice the chain provided appears to have inconsistencies (Proto-Germanic -inōną appearing twice, and the connection between these elements seems unclear). Additionally, the chain doesn't clearly show how Ancient Greek διφθέρα connects to the other elements, which makes it difficult to construct an accurate etymology sentence.
Could you verify the chain? Specifically:
- Should the chain show: English literalness → Middle English literal + -nesse → Old English -nes → Latin -alis → [origin]?
- What is the actual relationship between these elements?
- Is the Ancient Greek element correct for this word?
Once clarified, I can write an accurate one-sentence etymology that follows your rules precisely.
literalness (English): The property of being literal
Definitions
- The property of being literal
Ancestry of “literalness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -ness | Appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the... |
| 2 | Middle English | -nesse | Affixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns... |
| 3 | Old English | -nes | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | -nassī | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -inassuz | -ness |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |